Tanglewood Cheviots:
The Cheviot is well known as a hardy, low maintenance breed. These
traits appealed to us, along with the wool-free head and legs. We
enjoy the intelligence of the Cheviots and find them great to work
with. Some people suggested we would need deer fences to keep them in,
but we have not found them to be a problem.
We think it comes down to how they are handled - stockmanship.
Our first Cheviot was Killara 130/09 from McKelvies of Wyndham (Flock
210).
Then some ewes and another ram were sourced from well-known Cheviot
enthusiasts, Alf & Bryce Kinzett of Murchison (mainly Herangi
bloodlines).
Winter 2012 we purchased 39 ewes from the dispersal of Ariesdale
(Flock 12) of Carl & Dawn Neal, Nelson. These ewes were in-lamb to
Mamaku 55/09 (Flock 204, J. Green, Manawatu).
Registered ewe numbers are yet to be confirmed.
We are applying stringent selection criteria to these sheep and have identified some top performers to lead the development of our flock.
Our breeding objectives, are the same for all our sheep:
We require our breeding stock, to be fully sound with good feet and
stance and free from dags. Lambs that need regular drenching are
culled. Most of the ewes have required only one drench in their lifetime -
their first Autumn - some have never needed to be drenched.
Good mothering is also a top consideration followed by all the
production objectives:
- Growth & Muscling.
- Fertility / Fecundity.
- Wool quality & quantity.
The Cheviot stud is an exciting development for us and we anticipate an interesting future.
